This Thread Is To Be Used For All Discussions About HAL's On Board Smoking Policies

[Cruzaholic41]

Is it not possible for the cruising prohibitionists to simply use one of the dozens of other options available to them, and leave HAL alone? Is it not possible for them to throw a bone to those who wish to smoke on their balcony?

 

No, it is not possible, and I will not rest until HAL bans balcony smoking. It's a nasty, filthy habit that comes with an unbearable stench, not to mention a fire hazard as was well displayed by the Star Princess.

[RuthC]

If any line were to try this, you can bet that the anti-smokers will be complaining loudly, "Why can't we try this new line?":rolleyes:

Sadly, I think you're right.

[avian777]

Sadly, I think you're right.

 

I wholeheartedly agree!!!

[cruz chic]

My gut feeling is that HAL will change their smoking policies prior to the Koningsdam going into service. At least that's my hope. I'd feel more encouraged if a HAL spokesperson would chime in with a word from the company from time to time on this thread (as I've seen happen on the Celebrity and NCL boards) - as this would at least show that they're aware of the level of interest.

 

Regarding a ship exclusively for smokers -- I, for one, would have no interest in sailing a ship which had been essentially the "Ashtray of the Seas". Can you imagine the stench? It would be like staying in a run down Days Inn a couple of decades ago!

 

Tom

 

They will need to announce it pretty quick if that's going to happen. I would think they would need to give 6 months notice.

 

As far as having a smokers cruise line I wouldn't set foot on a ship like that. To suggest that non smokers would is just bizzare.

[sammiedawg]

The problem with this is that you are addressing the wrong party. It's not smokers who made the decision for HAL to continue to allow smoking on the balcony, it's HAL.

 

It is Carnival Corporation who designated Holland America to be the smokers friend.

They have the oldest fleet at sea, the least valuable ships, so to speak.

My travel agent friend has been saying they are weak in the marketplace and losing customers for a variety of reasons (another discussion of course). Carnival loves Princess and has poured tons of money into it. In comparison, very little money has been spent to improve Holland America and therefore it became the ashtray. It is pretty sad.

[Freckles83]

I, for one, would have no interest in sailing a ship which had been essentially the "Ashtray of the Seas". Can you imagine the stench? It would be like staying in a run down Days Inn a couple of decades ago!

 

Tom

 

LMAO this made me choke.

 

Coming Spring 2017 the MS Smokestackingdam

 

Staterooms that you can hot-box yourself in with blue smoke to your hearts content.

[Cruzaholic41]

Regarding a ship exclusively for smokers -- I, for one, would have no interest in sailing a ship which had been essentially the "Ashtray of the Seas". Can you imagine the stench? It would be like staying in a run down Days Inn a couple of decades ago!

 

LMAO this made me choke.

 

Coming Spring 2017 the MS Smokestackingdam

 

Staterooms that you can hot-box yourself in with blue smoke to your hearts content.

 

Ever sit in a used car previously owned by a smoker? That stench is exactly how I imagine a ship like that. I would check cruise port schedules because I wouldn't even want to be on a ship across the dock from that.

[kennicott]

I found another outdoor smoking allowed area (cigarettes only---cigar and pipes allowed only in the Churchill's enclosed lounge) on the Regal. On the promenade deck, which is really the boat deck and doesn't come close to going all the way around the bow nor the stern, there are two bulged out areas where they place a few deck chairs, one close to midship and the other close to the stern, the aft ones are smaller than those at midship. These are on each side of the vessel making a total of four. I understand smoking is allowed on the stern bulged out portion on the starboard side only, but I have been by there numerous times and have never seen an ashtray or anybody smoking.

 

The promenade on this ship is a misnomer, it is not really a promenade but a boat deck, the walkway between the two bulged out portions is single file---squished between the longitudenal outside bulkhead wall and the life boats, no view.

 

This is Princess's newest ship. It looks to me like they have adopted a policy of virtually no smoking on board It appears this is the way most of the industry is going, according to my cruising friends who use Celebrity, Celebrity is even more strict in reducing the amount of on board smoking. Meaning, HAL is truly becoming the only game in town.

[Mrdillion]

It is Carnival Corporation who designated Holland America to be the smokers friend.

They have the oldest fleet at sea, the least valuable ships, so to speak.

My travel agent friend has been saying they are weak in the marketplace and losing customers for a variety of reasons (another discussion of course). Carnival loves Princess and has poured tons of money into it. In comparison, very little money has been spent to improve Holland America and therefore it became the ashtray. It is pretty sad.

 

When was the last time you sailed Carnival? Carnival Cruise Line's Ships (as well as some of the other Cruise Lines) have a more much liberal smoking policy than HAL's even though they banned Smoking on the Balconies. Carnival's Ships have smoking on Promenade....HAL's does not! Carnival's Ships have Bars in or near the Casino that allows Smoking and some Ships have tables in the bar area that allows smoking...HAL's do not! Some of the Carnival Ships allow smoking in the Nightclub...HAL does not! Carnival's Ships also have more Smoking areas on their outside decks than HAL! So to say that Carnival Corp. has designated HAL as the "Smokers Friend" doesn't hold water!

 

Reality is that HAL has a very restrictive Smoking Policy on their Ships as opposed to other Cruise Lines that have banned Smoking on the Balconies. HAL has the area by the Seaview Bar, a small area in the Casino (which is the only Indoor Smoking and only allowed by those playing) and very limited Smoking on the FWD Observation and/or Sports Deck. To depict HAL as an "ashtray" is so far from the truth and that is what's sad!

[sammiedawg]

When was the last time you sailed Carnival? Carnival Cruise Line's Ships (as well as some of the other Cruise Lines) have a more much liberal smoking policy than HAL's even though they banned Smoking on the Balconies. Carnival's Ships have smoking on Promenade....HAL's does not! Carnival's Ships have Bars in or near the Casino that allows Smoking and some Ships have tables in the bar area that allows smoking...HAL's do not! Some of the Carnival Ships allow smoking in the Nightclub...HAL does not! Carnival's Ships also have more Smoking areas on their outside decks than HAL! So to say that Carnival Corp. has designated HAL as the "Smokers Friend" doesn't hold water!

 

Reality is that HAL has a very restrictive Smoking Policy on their Ships as opposed to other Cruise Lines that have banned Smoking on the Balconies. HAL has the area by the Seaview Bar, a small area in the Casino (which is the only Indoor Smoking and only allowed by those playing) and very limited Smoking on the FWD Observation and/or Sports Deck. To depict HAL as an "ashtray" is so far from the truth and that is what's sad!

 

We've never sailed Carnival cruise lines, my reference was to the Carnival corporation. HAL has the most liberal smoking policy of any mainstream cruise line we have sailed. If you read through this thread there is a lot of anecdotal information that smokers are migrating to HAL in large numbers.

Edited September 23, 2015 by sammiedawg

[waASPCrusier]

We've never sailed Carnival cruise lines, my reference was to the Carnival corporation. HAL has the most liberal smoking policy of any mainstream cruise line we have sailed. If you read through this thread there is a lot of anecdotal information that smokers are migrating to HAL in large numbers.

 

I think you must have meant to say:

 

HAL has the most liberal balcony smoking policy

 

there is a lot of anecdotal information that balcony smokers are migrating to HAL in large numbers

 

as non-smokers who don't book balconies we have found the current policy affords us no contact with smokers...of course unless we choose to go into the casino or sit in the smoking section of the sea view bar. Quite an improvement from when we started with HAL some 8+ years ago.

[sail7seas]

deleted

Edited September 23, 2015 by sail7seas

[Barrheadlass]

When was the last time you sailed Carnival? Carnival Cruise Line's Ships (as well as some of the other Cruise Lines) have a more much liberal smoking policy than HAL's even though they banned Smoking on the Balconies. Carnival's Ships have smoking on Promenade....HAL's does not! Carnival's Ships have Bars in or near the Casino that allows Smoking and some Ships have tables in the bar area that allows smoking...HAL's do not! Some of the Carnival Ships allow smoking in the Nightclub...HAL does not! Carnival's Ships also have more Smoking areas on their outside decks than HAL! So to say that Carnival Corp. has designated HAL as the "Smokers Friend" doesn't hold water!

 

Reality is that HAL has a very restrictive Smoking Policy on their Ships as opposed to other Cruise Lines that have banned Smoking on the Balconies. HAL has the area by the Seaview Bar, a small area in the Casino (which is the only Indoor Smoking and only allowed by those playing) and very limited Smoking on the FWD Observation and/or Sports Deck. To depict HAL as an "ashtray" is so far from the truth and that is what's sad!

 

 

One small correction...Unless HAL has chang d the rules recently, smoking is allowed on the promenade deck. There are ashtrays on the railing.

[Mar56]

One small correction...Unless HAL has chang d the rules recently, smoking is allowed on the promenade deck. There are ashtrays on the railing.

 

Not on the Noordam in Feb 2015

[POA1]

One small correction...Unless HAL has chang d the rules recently, smoking is allowed on the promenade deck. There are ashtrays on the railing.

Nope.

[AV8rix]

One small correction...Unless HAL has chang d the rules recently, smoking is allowed on the promenade deck. There are ashtrays on the railing.

 

On which ship did you see that? And when? I haven't seen those rail ashtrays on the promenade deck in a few years (not exactly sure when I last saw one).

Edited September 24, 2015 by Av8rix

[Fouremco]

One small correction...Unless HAL has chang d the rules recently, smoking is allowed on the promenade deck. There are ashtrays on the railing.

Celebrity allows it on the Promenade Deck, port side only, but I don't recall any HAL ship allowing smoking on that deck.

[regnig]

..............If you read through this thread there is a lot of anecdotal information that smokers are migrating to HAL in large numbers.

 

How true! I've yet to see personal evidence of that migration although admittedly I don't sail as frequently as many others. Most of the examples of smoke bothering non-smokers seems to be examples of "times passed" and I'm not remembering anyone saying that it has gotten worse in recent times.

[Lizzie68]

On our last cruise although the ashtrays had been removed on the rail there were some pax who took their own ashtray out to the promenade deck and smoked on the loungers there. Mainly early mornings. One guy used a coke can.

[cruz chic]

How true! I've yet to see personal evidence of that migration although admittedly I don't sail as frequently as many others. Most of the examples of smoke bothering non-smokers seems to be examples of "times passed" and I'm not remembering anyone saying that it has gotten worse in recent times.

 

There have been a number of posts saying the only reason they sail Hal is so they can smoke. These are people from other lines.

[Mrdillion]

Smoking is prohibited on Promenade on ALL Hal Ships! Stricter than Celebrity, Carnival and NCL!

 

People are not fleeing from Carnival and booking HAL! Yes, some of migrated over but that is also due to getting older and wanting a change and not all are smokers! Some who have come over to HAL still book Carnival and are people who cruise multi-times per year! Most Carnival Cruisers consider HAL the "Dead Ships" filled with old people and walkers! They don't look at HAL as the "Fun Ships"! Their words, not mine! They also are still smoking on balconies as are those on the other Cruise Lines who banned it so have no reason to leave Carnival! Carnival Cruisers are more inclined to book NCL or RCL when they do make a change! Go read their threads! Carnival Cruisers, in general, are booking short, Carib Cruises and not the Itineraries that HAL offers nor the duration of them and certainly not the cost of them!

 

Again, compared to other Cruise Lines, where is HAL the "Ashtray" of the Seas! By still allowing Balcony Smokling when their other areas on the Ships are so restricted doesn't make it so!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

On our last cruise although the ashtrays had been removed on the rail there were some pax who took their own ashtray out to the promenade deck and smoked on the loungers there. Mainly early mornings. One guy used a coke can.

 

Speaking of using a coke can... I've been on cruises where I've seen people using empty water bottles to spit/collect their (chewing) tobacco juice into. Nothing more pleasant to witness than a clear bottle with "juice" in it!

 

Yes, that's not about smoking, but yet another facet of addiction to the same plant. What people will do...

 

Tom

[kennicott]

Smoking is prohibited on Promenade on ALL Hal Ships! Stricter than Celebrity, Carnival and NCL!

 

They also are still smoking on balconies as are those on the other Cruise Lines who banned it so have no reason to leave Carnival!

 

Posters have indicated, on this thread, Princess guests are breaking the smoking rules. Over the last year we have sailed on Princess over two months and as I write this we are on the Regal, I am here to tell you that is absolutely not the truth. Look at my pertinent posts over the last few days. Furthermore:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/v-2/articles.cfm?ID=225

 

Maybe C.C. should update this thread, or maybe HAL should update their smoking rules. Or maybe this is what is actually going on.

 

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE

 

Where You Can Smoke: Smoking is permitted on cabin balconies (not inside the cabins), open decks, the casino and Seaview Bar. E-cigarettes can be smoked inside the cabins, but not in other designated areas throughout the ship.

 

Where You Can't: All cabins (with the exception of balconies), restaurants and most indoor areas (including showrooms) are non-smoking.

 

Cigar and Pipe Smoking: Cigar and pipe smoking is prohibited inside; it is only allowed on outside decks and on cabin balconies.

[Barrheadlass]

On which ship did you see that? And when? I haven't seen those rail ashtrays on the promenade deck in a few years (not exactly sure when I last saw one).

 

I'm pretty sure they were there on the Prinsendam when I took the transatlantic in November of 2013. There were definitely smokers on the promenade deck...there was a guy smoking cigars every day.

[sail7seas]

It's possible in almost two years they have now been removed.